ABSTRACT
The first federal Copyright Act was adopted in 1790. The original act protected books and maps from unauthorized use for a 14-year renewable term. In 1802, protection for prints was added to the act. Musical compositions received protection in 1831. Photographs became copyrightable in 1865 and paintings became copyrightable in 1870. It was not until 1978 that sound and video recordings could be copyrighted.
